Ransomes Jacobsen, the Ipswich-based manufacturer of professional turf care machinery, has supplied new equipment to two of Norfolk’s leading golf courses.

The Royal West Norfolk club at Brancaster has been renewing its fleet following major flood damage last winter when a tidal surge left five feet of water in its maintenance workshop as well as affecting the clubhouse, men’s changing room and pro shop.

Head greenkeeper Gavin Playford said: “Everyone rallied around for us and the three major manufacturers, through their local dealers, were very supportive. With their support of loan equipment we were up and running very quickly after such a catastrophic event.”

And he added: “We already had the hybrid Jacobsen Eclipse 322 in our planned capital expenditure schedule following a three-day demo we had about 18 months ago, but with the approval of the insurers we were able to get it as part of the replacement package.”

Hunstanton Golf Club, a longstanding customer of Ransomes Jacobsen dealer Bartram Mowers, has also added a Jacobsen Eclipse 322 mower to its fleet, bringing forward the purchase by a year having been impressed by the machine during a demonstration.

Head greenkeeper Peter Read said: “I called Bartram Mowers back in early May and asked for a demonstration of the Eclipse. They got it to me quickly and left it with us for a week, which was fortunate as it was in the run up to a major member and guest competition, which we host every year to raise funds for the local Royal National Lifeboat Institution. We were so impressed by its performance that, with the backing of the greens committee, we brought funding forward and purchased it a year ahead of our planned replacement programme.”

Ransomes Jacobsen is a member of the EADT/EDP Top100 listing of the 100 largest companies in Suffolk and Norfolk.